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An epic supernatural horror adventure set in a massive, decaying mental institute. Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, Hammer Films and the atmospheric horror of yesteryear. Coming as soon as we can. We swear.

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Nick, we're not sure yet, but the plan is to wrap up the game later this year. The migration to Unity has slowed us a bit but we're still looking to hit a stable alpha soon. With that ready, we should be able to offer a more solid release date!

@Russell Thanks for the vote of confidence, it means a lot! We're definitely finishing Asylum, and we're doing everything we can to do it sooner than later. I know I say this often, but the final game won't disappoint... we have big and horrifying things in store for all of you :)

I know people get funny about delay upon delay, but I have every confidence here that we will eventually get something worth waiting for. The estimated Project Fedora delivery date was December 2012. It was delivered (as Tesla Effect) on 7th May 2014.

Having worked in the Dagon engine for over a year and knowing first hand of its multiple good points as well as its limitations, I applaud Agustin for making this gutsy move. The melding of Dagon into Unity may delay the game for a few months, but actually trying to make Asylum into the game that Agustin envisioned using just the Dagon engine would probably have taken longer. There was just a great deal left to be figured out in Dagon that is already available in Unity. In Unity, the ability to use 3D meshes will allow for greater interactivity, better character animations, and atmospheric effects. I have every confidence in Agustin and the Senscape team and will eagerly await the release of the "Dagonity."

@Agustin -
I'm glad to see that you're being nice to Pablo. You should give him anything that he wants!

@Snake I know and understand, but I'd rather wait so you can play a truly polished and rich alpha. You can expect to explore the entire asylum with the environmental effects I described, plus test how the character interaction works. We're working around the clock to make this happen ASAP, and I promise the extra wait will be worth it :)

@Ingo No, not really. Those were still Dagon screenshots. I will post comparisons in another update, but the major difference in the courtyard would be the thunderstorm as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch…

No video can do justice to how it *feels* playing Asylum under those menacing weather conditions.

@Fate Thank you for the vote of confidence. I definitely understand the frustration, and by all means, if anybody needs to vent, feel free to do so. It's just that I can picture all of you playing Asylum in its final incarnation and I know you will realise that we made the right call :)

Superbacker

I fully support this decision of yours. As you might remember, I had some problems getting the latest dagon to work properly on my Linux OS. I am pretty sure that will not be the case with Unity's version.
As to those complaining this game will be delayed even further I only say: to me all you have to take care of is make a top-notch game up to your own standards. Only when you believe you have done the best you can, release it and not a moment sooner. I don't care if takes another year, or even two, even though I don't believe it will come to that.
### Member of the Pinkerton Road Cavalry ###
### Dreamfall Traveller ###

One other thing that I'd like to say, is that after your previous update a few weeks ago, I thought you were about to announce that alpha or beta testing was going to start soon. Then I read this update and find that after all, you were talking about a decision that is actually going to delay that. Even though I don't feel mad at you, it is still a little frustrating...

Update#35: "So, Pablo has been reworking several key scenes so that the illusion of traversing through Hanwell is never broken. A good example is the courtyard:"
Is the following screenshot comparison between Dagon and Unity? Are the other two screenshots Dagon or Unity?

@Agustín: Asylum/Dagon development time and the pre-paid supporters - Stress and stress! How do you keep putting up a positive front? Please continue to be as positive as you can! Yes, answer to the angry/disappointed supporters, but keep your chin up!

I paid $750 to support Asylum, and I am not worried about Asylum one bit! Would I like to have the game by now? Yes, of course. Do I have money just to throw around? No, as a matter of fact I am currently struggling with paying my bills. But what I do have is knowledge that Agustín cares very deeply about giving every backer a quality game, no matter what they paid, and he will not stop until every backer has what they paid for.

If you feel like complaining or being mad or venting or cussing out Agustín, go ahead. You have a right and your feelings are valid.

I, for one, am very excited for the upcoming release of Asylum! I think it is coming out before Half-Life 3. I think! ; )

Because I know the people at Senscape and Agustín are genuinely quality people who really care and can be held accountable, I am and will forever be, an undying fan.

Wow! Where did THAT come from? I suspected this was the case when I saw MonoDevelop in the background in that picture a few days ago but I said "Naaa... He wouldn't..." But you did! Welcome to the world of Unity!

@Aaron Yes, it's definitely awkward right now. We're not doing real lipsync currently but rather a dirty hardcode, which adds some weird pauses between phrases. The lines aren't final anyway and she's going to speak (and act) far better than this early sample. We should have a new take pretty soon.

@Neil Believe me, no half job here. The game is coming and it will be every bit as awesome as we promised and then some. I know that I promised a playable build rather soonish, and that's happening too!

Wow! This is big news. I think the tests look great so far, and I know you're only ever doing what's best for the game - and the experience the player has. I think this is going to be awesome... I'm looking forward to the developments, and I know this game is really going to be the immersive experience we're all looking for!

As a software engineer myself, I can understand the painful decision of having to admit that your own lovingly homegrown tools are not the right tools for the job. Kudos to you for acknowledging that. However, it doesn't make me any less anxious for the game, even if the final product will be more polished as a result :(

Unrelated, if I may make a suggestion: the script for the asylum clerk is too stilted. It's not natural speech. I don't know if that's final script and/or voiceover, but it could really use some adjustment to sound like you're talking to a character, not a talking book.

At this rate it's going to be Dec 2014, very very late! I can see why paying up for early access or kickstarter is a risky venture. I do hope you finish it and not do a runner half finished as many others have done :(

@Sean We have considered what you say a few times, and especially now. Truth is, while it's certainly possible, it's far more work than just bringing our existing scenes to Unity or a similar engine. We would need to redo all the lights and rework many objects, possibly remove a good deal of geometry and detail, thus missing the photorealistic look that we have today. It's too insane, even for us, and I'd rather keep the highly detailed environments :)

@Snake You make a good point. Yes, perhaps we should have reconsidered the game engine once the Kickstarter was successful, but keep in mind that we were promoting our own engine in the campaign, reason why I insist that Dagon is not being abandoned, just paused as we focus 100% on delivering the best possible Asylum in a timely manner.

@Jan Dagon is NOT being abandoned. The engine remains free and open source, and I will continue supporting it. I have committed to deliver updates and patches for Adamantus (a work-in-progress game), for example.

I'm considering other options to ensure that Dagon++ and Dagonity coexist more seamlessly, namely converting Dagon++ to C#. Obviously there's no way I can tackle this development right now, but we'll see once Asylum is completed :)

I realize your entire design is built around specific nodes, etc., but with the move to Unity, have you considered moving to completely 3D environments? Your backgrounds are pre-rendered, right (I might be wrong)? Would I be incorrect in assuming you actually have 3D models for that stuff already, for the rendering? I certainly have no issues with the classic node-based movement, but I think games like Gone Home have shown us that FPS-like controls can work extremely well for an adventure game. If perhaps it is too late to redesign Asylum around that, is it possible that whatever project you move to AFTER Asylum could use a fully 3D world? I just find it adds to immersion.

I recognize that you made a good decision by re-implementing the game in Unity instead od Dagon. I also understand the choice for using Dagon during initial development.

But I after reading this update, I believe you made a mistake by not switching to Unity earlier, at least when this kickstarter was funded. Judging by what I read, development could have benefited from porting into Unity earlier.

I can't imagine how tough it was to make this decision, especially with how possessive you must feel about your first baby (Dagon). Kudos for being able to make the hard call and prioritize the game before the engine, rather than the other way around. Plus, easy Android/iPad ports are nothing to scoff at!